


Hold My Hand

by keepmeright



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Asexual Kent, But he doesn't know how to let hockey friend him back, But he wasn't as much of a jerk, But not to the public, Canon Compliant, Coming Out, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Kent is a total Mom Friend, Kent signs with the Falcs, Kent went to Epikegster 2014, M/M, Other, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2020-01-23 02:43:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18540682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepmeright/pseuds/keepmeright
Summary: What happens when Kent Parson, who isn't out to anyone in hockey, signs with the Falcs?  Can he maintain the walls he built?  Does he even want to?





	1. Unexpected

There are a lot of things about Logan Miller’s life that went according to plan.Going to college and getting a job using their degree.Learning to cook and having a cat that was spoiled rotten.Some things weren’t planned but in retrospect they weren’t surprising either.Realizing they weren’t a girl after all.Finding out in their mid 20s that they’re autistic.But there are also things that Logan never would have predicted.And at the top of the list was being married to a professional hockey player.

~~~

For a long time, Kent Parson thought that he would end up alone.Once he was past the cootie stage growing up, everyone seemed to move on without him.He didn’t know how to say that he wanted a boyfriend not a girlfriend even if he mostly just wanted to hold hands.And he really didn’t know how to have that and hockey at the same time.For a little while there was Jack, blurring the lines between hockey and the things he thought he couldn’t have.But that came crashing down, leaving him feeling more alone than before.

He built himself up just to fall apart again when he lost his mom a year later.After that roommates seemed the best he could hope for.The team—his team—was great, but he was always holding something back.He didn’t expect to date while he was still playing, and he really didn’t expect he would be married.But he definitely didn’t think he could pull that off without anyone in hockey knowing about it.

 

 

_September 2013_

“Hey, I need you to tell me if you think I’m going to get murdered if I take this roommate opportunity.”Logan kept typing until they finished the page they were editing before turning to face Jason.“I need to you let me know if you think I’m crazy for actually going to meet with this potential roommate.The ad seemed normal, but the rent is way too cheap for this location, and what kind of person that can afford something with a view of the strip even wants a roommate anyway.”

“Some people don’t like to live alone?I guess that doesn’t change just because they are rich.”

“I guess.Can you come with me?”

“When is it?”

“After work tonight…at six.”

“It’s taco night.”

“I know.We can go out afterwards.”

~~~

“Come on Parser, let’s get some dinner,” Wolf called out as they were wrapping up in the locker room after practice,”

“I can’t dude—I told you I’m busy tonight.Another time.”

Kent was tying his shoes when Swoops leaned over from the stall next to him.“Kent, you know if you don’t want to live alone all you have to do is ask and you can have a rookie next year.Or I’m sure Gull would be happy to have you again even though you’ve been Captain for a few years now. ”

“I know, but I need some stuff in my life that isn’t hockey.And I like having a roommate.”


	2. Free Agent

_June 2018_

It’s not like Kent never expected to have some bad seasons.After all, since he was drafted first it meant he went to a team coming off a terrible season.But the last two seasons had been rough for the Aces.They just barely missed the playoffs in 2017, leaving behind bitter disappointment, and things didn’t get better.They just got worse, much worse.Having no hope of the playoffs and firing the head coach did not make for much fun. 

The team had held together better than could be expected.Kent knew his leadership on the ice was solid, and even though there were lots of losses, everyone knew it was bad luck with injuries and some trades over the last couple seasons that hadn’t worked out.He couldn’t shake the sense that his leadership in the locker room was lacking though.He was always there for his team, willing to help anyone through a shooting slump or a breakup.The problem was that he didn’t know how to let them return the favor.There was so much of himself that he didn’t talk about, and it seemed to be reaching a tipping point. 

He was going into free agency in a few days.Who knew what would happen next.

 

_July 2018_

Kent had taken the day off from off-season training to deal with offers that came in, and it was a weekend, so Logan didn’t need to get any work done either.It’s not like they would be getting much done anyway.They had known it was coming, but it didn’t make it less nerve wracking to wait for calls and emails from Robert, Kent’s agent.Never Rob, just Robert.

There weren’t that many teams that had the cap space for Kent, and a few of those didn’t need more depth at forward.They had made plans with Kent for the likely possibilities, but they hated not knowing.Not knowing where they would end up.Not knowing when they would move.Not knowing what the new team would be like.Not knowing how many new people they would need to work with at their job.Not knowing what the weather would be like.Not knowing, not knowing, not knowing….

“Blue coffee today.” Logan startled when they saw the cup on the table in front of them.They must have lost more time worrying than it seemed like.They thought Kent had just gotten up to get dressed and start making breakfast a minute ago.

“Sorry, I must have gotten stuck in my head.Thanks for the coffee.”Looking up, they saw Kent in one of their well-worn college sweatshirts.“Stealing my clothes today, huh?”

“I wanted to be comfy and it felt weird to wear Aces stuff today,” Kent replied.He sat down next to them at the table and then leaned over to give Kit a pat where she was curled up on their lap.“The frittata is almost done.I figure we could eat breakfast and then check email?”

The was the plan, but halfway through eating Kent’s phone rang.“Hey Robert, what do you have that’s so urgent we need to talk before breakfast?”

They couldn’t hear much of what Robert was saying, but based on Kent’s face it had to be something surprising.

“I wasn’t expecting anything from them at all.How do they have the cap space for this?” Kent listened for a bit more before letting Robert know to send the details in email and they would talk about it.After hanging up, he looked over at them.

“The Falcs made an offer—a serious one.Apparently Robinson is retiring and they’ve been keeping a lid on it so other teams don’t outbid them.Between that and some trades they have some serious cap space.”

“How serious are we talking about?”

“Six years at $12 million, plus the usual bonuses.But also starting with an A and the option for a no movement clause after three years.”

“Wow.The no movement would be really nice.Do you think anyone else will offer that?”That was something they hadn’t even begun to hope for.It would be a lot to agree to before seeing how a new player integrates on the team.But not moving every few years while Kent tried to settle into a new team would be amazing.

“I doubt anyone else will as part of an opening offer.Maybe we could get someone to match it, but I don’t know.”

“And Jack?”

“I don’t know…we’ve had some civil conversations over the last couple years but nothing where we have really talked about the past.Mostly just confirming he wouldn’t out me after he came out and small talk at awards ceremonies.I don’t know.I would probably need to talk to him before agreeing to anything.But what about you?We didn’t have a plan for Providence.”

“I don’t know.The Boston plan would probably work but I would need to look at it closer.And I still need to talk to my group about any of the details.But I work from home most of the time anyway, so location isn’t the biggest factor.”

“So basically we both need to process this.”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

~~~

Kent knew that Logan needed to take time to think things through.But usually there were updates about how they were thinking about things, and it had been a few days with nothing, which was starting to make him nervous.It hadn’t taken this long to get an update on something since they talked about dating.He was going to need to say something if he didn’t want to spend his birthday worried about it. 

He came back from his afternoon skating practice to find Logan buried under the weighted blanket on the couch and Kit curled up on top of them.He dropped his bag by the door and picked up his wedding band from where it waited for him on the counter.He slipped it back on his finger as he headed over to the couch.

“Can I join you under there?” he asked and then slid under the blanket after Logan lifted up a corner.He enjoyed the silence and closeness for a few minutes before talking.

“Rough day, or are you stuck on contract stuff?”

“A bunch of meetings today, but I’ve been cuddling with Kit for a while.I’ve been thinking about Providence.I was talking to Gran the other day and she said my parents moved to Connecticut.I know we wouldn’t actually have to see them or talk to them, but I can’t figure out how I feel about being closer to them.It’s stupid to think I would see them at the mall or something, but it also isn’t impossible.”

“Well you know Gran will tell them wherever we end up, so that sort of reduces the possibility of “accidentally” running into them.They know where we live now, and they aren’t taking vacations to Vegas to try and check up on you.”

“Yeah, I guess.It’s just weird.But it would be nice to be closer to Katie.I know you miss her now that she’s so busy.”

“Maybe I could even get her to come to a game,” he chuckled.He knew it was virtually impossible.She had had enough of being dragged to his games growing up to watch “idiots crash into each other,” which Kent couldn’t completely disagree with.“But it would be nice to see her more often.”

“And it is probably easier to find a hockey league for me in New England than in the desert.I’m getting rusty.And I could actually go to some NWHL games—even have my choice of which team to support.”

“So I should call Jack and see if playing for the Falcs would go well?”

“Yeah, I know it’s the best deal on paper.But we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves if you two can’t manage a productive conversation about playing together.”

“He was an old man while we were still in Juniors, and I doubt that has changed.I’ll call him tomorrow so I don’t interrupt his bed time.”

 

Kent was nervous as he listened to the phone ringing.He knew he would be able to tell if playing for the Falcs would be a terrible idea, but he didn’t know what he was looking for to know if it was the right idea.He was starting to think that Jack wasn’t going to answer when the line finally connected.Kent heard a lot of noise and some foot steps before a door slammed and it got quieter.

“Hello?”

“Jack?It’s Kent.Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

“Of course.I was starting to think I wasn’t going to hear from you.”

Kent laughed briefly, “So you know why I’m calling then?”

“Yeah.George talked with me before they made you an offer.She wanted to make sure that we could play together.I told her we could and if you thought we probably could too then you would probably check with me to confirm.”

“Ok.Does she know why the answer might not have been yes?” he asked warily.Kent was going to be mad if George knew the whole story.Because that certainly wouldn’t have fit with Kent’s definition of “not outing him.”

“Oh, no she doesn’t,” Jack assured him quickly.“She just knows we were best friends and then weren’t.She’s noticed that we barely talk at events and stuff.I can’t promise she doesn’t have suspicions, but I haven’t said anything to encourage them.”

“Alright, well that’s good.So why do you think we can play together again?”

“We cleared the air after Bitty and I came out, and the past is in the past.And even if it is awkward for a while, I think we both know how to play with people we aren’t best friends with.”

“Zimms…there is a difference between making sure we can interact without making a scene or letting games go to shit so that the media doesn’t start speculating and actually having resolved our issues.I know we were stupid teenagers, but we also were just bad at communicating.So, I know I was a jerk to you while you were at Samwell.And I know I pushed your buttons on purpose, and that wasn’t ok.A lot of that had to do with where I was mentally at the time, and I don’t think it would be a problem in the future.”

“Ok.I appreciate that.I know that it wasn’t ok to completely shut you out and not give you any explanation.I didn’t know how to say that everything from juniors felt tainted, and that every time I thought about us there were these echoes of who I was that I was trying to put behind me.”

“Look at us, using our words and talking about feelings,” Kent joked lightly.He paused before asking the question that might mean they couldn’t play together again.“Can I ask though…did I make it worse for you, back in juniors?With all the pressure and trying to hide everything?”

“No, Kenny.I was just really sick and I didn’t know how to ask for help.Honestly, for a few years I did blame you a little because it was easier than taking that responsibility myself.My anxiety is never going to go away, but I know I can talk to people now and I know when to ask for help.”

“That’s good—I mean, it’s good you are doing better.”

“Yeah, me too.As long as we are digging into all this, can I ask what was going on when you came to Samwell?”

Kent was quiet for minute before taking a deep breath.

“You don’t have to—” Jack started before Kent let him know it was ok.

“The first one I might as well get out there, and the second one is actually kind of relevant.I’m guessing you don’t know this, because even though we weren’t talking I think I would have heard from you, or at least your parents, if you knew.The summer after my first season with the Aces my mom died.Drunk driver ran a red light.”Kent could hear Jack starting to say something, but he had to get the whole thing out before he lost steam.“Which, I mean, yeah—So, the next year we won the Cup.And I had my Kup day, and you know Katie doesn’t really care about hockey.And this sounds pathetic, but I didn’t have anyone else who would know what it meant to me to have done that.And I wasn’t thinking about what it would seem like to you.I just didn’t want to feel so alone.Didn’t really work out so well.”

“Kent, I am so sorry.I don’t even know what else to say.”

“Yeah.I still miss her all the time, but I’m not feeling that kind of lonely anymore.But anyway, the second time I showed up to be a jerk.I was having a really hard time balancing being queer with playing hockey, which I know you know isn’t always easy.And yeah, I think we can still be great together on the ice, but I was also looking to bridge that gap and have more people who could really get both sides of me.And that isn’t really a challenge that has gone away.I just deal with it better than I was before.”

“Wait, I know you aren’t Out Out, but are you not out to your team?”

“My AGM and someone in PR know, but no.I’m not out to the team or coaches, and that isn’t something I’m planning on changing any time soon.”Kent left unsaid than Mark in HR was also very helpful getting Logan put on all his paperwork since he didn’t know that Kent wasn’t actually married to a woman.

“Ok.I know I say it interviews, but the Falcs actually have been totally fine with me and Bitty.If you wanted to be out to the team you definitely could be.”

“I think most of the Aces would have been fine.I just don’t want to be out.I would tell George and whoever she thinks needs to know in PR so they don’t get annoyed if somebody outs me and they didn’t know about it.”

“Well I can guarantee that George would be furious at whoever did the outing and not even a little annoyed with you for not having let her know.But she is the first person I came out to at the Falcs, and I know she would be happy to help with whatever you need.”

“So Zimms, verdict…you really think we can be on the same team and see each other all the time again?”

“I really think we can Kenny.I’m sure we will still have some awkward moments but we have just demonstrated that we can talk about real stuff without it becoming a shouting match.”

“Do I have to start calling you Zimboni?”

“Haha.It’s up to you, but Tater is pretty persuasive.Now that we are done with all this emotional baggage…Happy Birthday!”

“Thanks.What are you up to for the 4th?”

“We’re down in Madison.It’s disgustingly humid but it’s a tradition at this point.”

“Oh tell, me about it.I’ve done rural Alabama in August.But I’m going to need a new birthday tradition next year.The last few years have been spent watching the sun rise out in the desert.”

“I guess you will have to try watching sunrise over the water next year.And at some point I want to hear about how you ended up in Alabama.”

“Yeah, that’s a story for another time.I should let you get back to your family stuff.I’m going to take a nap before heading out for Birthday Part II.”

“Haha.Have fun.Let’s talk again in a few days once you actually figure out all the contract stuff.”

 

It took all of two hours after Kent’s contract with the Falcs was announced for Swoops to call Kent and begged that he Skype to talk about the details.Once the Skype call connected Kent saw Swoops and Gull crammed onto the small couch in the furnished condo they were renting in Denver for their off-season training.

“The Falconers Kent?You hate playing them.Why would you want to play with them?”Swoops demanded.

“I don’t hate playing them, it’s just been weird playing against my ex best friend who almost died and then we didn’t talk.”Kent had the sense that offense was going to be the best defense for this chat.

“How is that better?It isn’t going to be weird to see him EVERY DAY?!”

“Chill, dude.We talked to clear the air before I accepted anything.So what is really going on?”

“He’s worried you are going all the way to the other side of the country and you won’t be here to Mom Friend him anymore,” Gull answered.

“No, I’m worried you are going all the way to the other side of the country and we won’t get to see you ever,” Swoops countered.

“Aww, don’t worry you can still call me and tell me all about your problems Swoops.”

“You really couldn’t have taken the offer from the Avs?I know they made one.”

“They are a bunch of jerks and they made a shitty offer, so no.We all knew this was coming Swoops.We had too many forwards but not anyone who could match my speed, not enough depth on defense, and management stupidly traded away a few draft picks.They needed the cap space to remake the team.And the Falcs made me the best offer.”

“We know Parser.We’re just going to miss you.”Gull was resigned to the reality of it, but he also had his Goalie Face on so he probably knew that there was more Kent wasn’t saying.

Kent said he was going to miss them too and ended the call before Gull could prod.Because the thing was, Kent wanted the clean break.He didn’t want to play the Aces several time a year and wonder about ‘what if’.He felt a little like he was running away, but he also thought he needed a new environment to figure out how to balance life and hockey better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the rest of this mapped out in my head, but this is everything I have written so far. Updates might be a little slow until the semester ends in mid May.


	3. Condos and Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed a little bit of fluff this week, so you get some too.

_August 2018_

Logan frequently forgot that Kent made ridiculous amounts of money and they were rich.After all, they had spent plenty of time at Kent’s condo before they even started dating because their closest friend was his roommate.And Kent wasn’t lavish with his wealth.He was happy to fund Katie’s college and med school and not need to worry about the cost of hockey gear and lots of healthy food.Sure, their condo had some gaudy finishes, but that was mostly because nothing in Vegas could be described as tastefully understated.

The process of moving made it hard to forget just how much money they had.A quick trip out to Providence to find a new condo.A cash offer meant they didn’t have to deal with mortgage companies and lawyer could handle most of the paperwork.And then they didn’t need to feel bad about outsourcing their executive function so that everything was planned to get packed up, moved, and delivered to their new home on time.All Logan had to worry about was talking with Jason and then someone in HR about having a desk in the Boston office to use once a week and plans to fly out to Vegas once a month.It was a pretty easy discussion since Jason knew Kent was going to be signing with a new team and Logan already worked from home most of the time.All Kent had to do was continue with off season training and sign some paperwork.

It was the easiest move they had ever done, but they were still glad to collapse into bed after three days of getting everything put away.They snuggled under the covers and tried to sort through their thoughts about the new condo while waiting for Kent to finish his own shower.This place was softer? Warmer? The colors were a lot like Gran’s house, maybe it was that feeling of welcome?Whatever it was, they already liked it better than the Vegas condo.They also had a bigger office with plenty of natural light and they had a balcony you would actually want to go out on.Cozy—that was it!The light wood floors and pale walls and cabinets made their comfortable furniture fit right in.Logan rolled over to find Kent watching them.

“Hmm?”

“What are you thinking about,” he asked softly.

“The right adjective for the condo.It’s cozy.It reminds me of Gran’s house, just 100 years newer.”

“Ha, yeah.The wood floors are the same.Trying to put the kitchen together today reminds me of when we tried to cook dinner the last time we were there.Why does she rearrange things all the time?”

“I have no idea.I could never live that way.”

“Understatement.I’ll be shocked if you don’t have the label maker out by the end of the week so that I don’t put things away in the wrong place.”

“Well we do still need to make sure we picked the right system first.So maybe next week.”They were quiet for a minute before asking “Are you ready for your meeting with Georgia tomorrow?”

“Pretty much.Is it weird that it makes me more nervous that Jack said she would be a good ally?”

“Are you worried she will wonder why you don’t want to be out?Or push you about it since it went well for Jack?”

“I don’t even know.It just seems weird.”He turned on his side and moved to be the little spoon.It was one of his signs that he didn’t need to (or want to? Sometimes it was hard to tell) talk about it more.

Logan traced the freckles on Kent’s back while he fell asleep and then pulled up their covers to fall asleep themself.

~~~

Kent walked through the halls of the Falcs stadium to get to George’s office.No matter how comfortable he was with himself, or how many people he had in his corner, it never got easier to come out to someone for the first time.Even knowing how the Falcs had supported Jack, there was still that twinge of unease.He pulled his hand out of his pockets—he was wearing his wedding band for emotional grounding—and knocked on George’s door.

“Hey, Kent come on in.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you in person,” Kent greeted, extending his hand.

“Likewise, and we are glad to have you here.So,” she continued as they sat down, “you’ve been in the league a while so I think we can skip most of the basic pleasantries.Is there anything you want to talk about before I introduce you around to the people you need to know?”

Kent knew the question was something of a formality, so he was expecting George to look a little surprised when he said there was something he wanted to talk about.

“I’m not straight.”

“Ok.Thank you for trusting me.Are you bringing it up now because you want to come out?”

“No, actually I don’t want to come out.Definitely not to the public and probably not to most of the team either.There are two reasons for letting you know.First, I figure there should be some sort of plan incase anything does become public.And second, I’m married, so I want to make sure that Logan is in my emergency contacts and HR paperwork and all that stuff.”Kent let out a sigh after getting everything out there.

“You obviously don’t need a reason not to come out other than you don’t want to, but you seem pretty emphatic.Are there some specific reasons we should take into account with a plan?”

“Mostly to not have to deal with educating people on Queer 101.Jack had it bad enough with trying to convince people that bisexuality is real.I don’t think they are ready for the complexities of queerness and nonbinary gender.Plus Logan is autistic, so they really don’t want to deal with the attention that would come with being out.”

“Ok, well again.Thank you for trusting me with this.I know it isn’t easy, and we are proud of the fact that this whole organization is working to make it a little easier for anyone.I’ll talk with someone in PR and have them pull together a rough plan and then we can meet again so you know what we are thinking.”She waited for Kent’s agreement and then asked much less seriously, “now that the business part of that is done, tell me about Logan.”

Kent could feel the smile spread across his face.“I used to have non-hockey roommates, and one of them was friends with Logan from work.We bonded over hockey actually, which is a bit ironic since the whole point of having a roommate was to have less hockey in my life.They had a offer to play at Clarkson but turned it down and went to Georgia Tech instead.They are funny and passionate and keep me grounded.”He handed over his phone with his favorite picture of Logan.Steve had taken it after Kent fell over trying to stand up after a water break while they were out hiking.Logan were laughing, with their short, dark hair and sunglasses contrasted with the red desert rocks.“I don’t know.It’s one of those ‘you just know’ sort of things.”

“I can tell you are happy,” George answered kindly.“You ready for the tour and introductions?”

“Lead the way,” Kent answered.He slipped his ring off and put it in his pocket as they headed out the door.

George didn’t miss the motion.“Kent.If you ever need to talk, I’m here.I’m sure you have other people in your life too.But I know hiding things about yourself isn’t easy and it can get isolating.”

“Thanks.I’ll keep that in mind.”The Aces had never been unhelpful, but he always got the sense that they wished Kent wasn’t making their jobs so challenging.Talking with George he got the sense she actually cared, but that last comment made it clear.Even if he never took her up on the offer, it made him realize that the signing with Falcs had been the right decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has commented and given kudos. Those email notifications make my day!


	4. Change Doesn't Happen Over Night

_October 2018_

Kent was happy to be done with training camp and preseason.It was always a stressful time, with overwhelmed rookies, new trades, and familiar faces missing.This year he felt as if he was all of that.New routines, new faces, trying to figure out how to be a leader on a new team.But now they had their roster sorted, and Kent felt himself settling into this role as one of the three As. 

The team was nearly ready for their first official regular season practice when Jack stood up and called for everyone’s attention.Kent caught a glint in Jack’s eye as he opened his mouth and had immediate flashbacks to the Q.

“Zimms if you are still starting every season the way you did when you were 16, I am calling your mother to complain.”He was talking before he even thought about it.

“Haha, no.And come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

“It was.I know because not only did I get to enjoy the actual performance, I also got all the practices.”

“Well now I think one of you needs to tell the rest of us what was so terrible,” Marty joined in.

“It was just a motivational speech, I don’t—” Jack started.

“It was not just a motivational speech you nerd.It was the full St. Crispin’s Day speech followed by its recitation during important moments in history and an analysis of how it related to a quest for the Memorial Cup.If anything it was the opposite of a motivational speech.”

“Well it worked, didn’t it?” Jack demanded.

“Coincidence,” Kent retorted.

Kent and Jack had spent some time hanging out together at the end of the summer.Kent had cleared the air with Eric and apologized for being a jerk in the past.Jack and Kent were still working on getting their friendship to a comfortable place, but in the locker room and on the ice it was like nothing had changed. 

Practice was hard.They were all settling into their lines and getting used to new playing styles.After the last two seasons on the Aces when their play never came together the way it should have, it was a relief to see progress coming out of the preseason. 

They were done with practice and had just wrapped up their quick on-ice debrief with Coach when Jack tried to pull Kent into a headlock for retaliation from earlier.Unfortunately for Jack, he had forgotten than Kent’s response was to flop himself over and somehow end up on Jack’s back laughing.

“They like rookies but not afraid of getting sent down.” Kent heard Tater loudly exclaiming to Marty.

“It’s good for the rookies to know you can work hard and still have fun.But I think maybe they need it.Get over whatever happened their draft year”Marty’s response wasn’t nearly as loud, but Kent still heard it.

~~~

Logan was always glad when hockey season started again and their life shifted back to its normal routine.After this past season of uncertainty and change it was even more of a relief.It was also easier to adapt to a work routine where most of their colleagues were three time zones away now that there were more late nights and late mornings due to all the games and travel. 

It should have been obvious, since they never enjoyed waking up early, that keeping the same job and moving across the country would make their sleep cycle better.Thursdays when they had to go into Boston for regular hours were even worse though.At least the new condo was close to the train station.

They were working from home today, and were just wrapping up a meeting with Jason to go over their projects for the week.He knew that Logan hated small talk at the beginning of the conversation but was happy to talk about life at the end of their meetings. 

“So how is Providence, really?Now that you’ve been there for a couple of months?”

“I really like it.I don’t think I had realized how much Vegas grated at me with all the lights and craziness.It is much more chill here, like normal life.Instead of people trying to escape their normal life.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.I’m glad Mark and I live out in the desert now.Just lots of rocks and other people going about their normal life.But what about the Falcs?How is Kent settling in really?

“I think it is going well.And he puts a little less pressure on himself now that he isn’t the only captain.But, I don’t know.I think he’s churning on some thought.He gets quiet more.”

“You know you could ask him about it,” he answered bluntly.

“It hasn’t been that long,” they answered, rubbing their index fingers over their thumb joints.“And you lived with him for two years.You know he doesn’t talk about things until he is ready.”

“Fair enough.But I will meddle if I need to.”

“I know.It’s why you are such a good friend.”

~~~

_November 2018_

The Falcs were out celebrating after a 5-0 win during an afternoon game.Kent and Jack had 2 goals each and anyone wondering if their on-ice chemistry from the Q was still there after 10 years was no longer in doubt.It was still early, but Kent was sure they would make the playoffs.They might not be serious Cup contenders this year, but they probably would be next year with some development from their rookies.It was a relief after two bad seasons in a row.

“Ok, Kid.When are you going to get around to proposing to Eric?You’ve been dating for three and a half years.” Marty was pestering Jack about his relationship now that they were all a few drinks in.

“Yeah, but for the first two years he was still in school.And I didn’t want it to be a graduation thing.And then last year was just a whirlwind.”

“Jack—please tell me y’all have at least talked about it.Because if that hasn’t happened y’all need lessons in communication or something.”Kent usually tried to stay out of relationship discussions when they weren’t one-on-one advice.The team assumed he was single since he never mentioned anyone or brought anyone to events.But that had less to do with the closet and more to do with the fact that a sports bar full of loud hockey players and excited fans was the last place Logan wanted to be.It was how they had managed keeping their relationship a secret so far.Because it wouldn’t work if Logan felt left out of parts of Kent’s life.

Unfortunately Kent was getting some weird looks, so he might need to start telling some of those incomplete truths he had gotten pretty good at.

“Yes, we’ve talked about it.And Marty, relax.I do have a plan, I just don’t want you guys spoiling it for me.”

“Ok, now that mystery is solved,” Poots interrupted.“Parse, what is up with all the y’alls?You are from New York and then spent years in Quebec and Vegas.I swear you ‘y’all’ more than Eric does, and it doesn’t make any sense.”

“What?‘Y’all means all’—It’s inclusive.”He had found that answering confidently prevented most follow-ups.And it had always been very reliable with the Aces since he had made it clear he wouldn’t laugh at jokes that might make the locker room an uncomfortable place for anyone.It was the right thing to do, but it also was one of the few things he thought he could do as a rookie to keep from spending every day in a homophobic locker room.He spoke up more now if he needed to, but it had been awhile since there was anything he needed to address with the Aces and the Falcs were good so far.

“Isn’t that taking it a little far?I read the press release, Jack might hypothetically date women, but we all know who Eric is.” It was Rocker, one of the other new trades for the year. 

“Yes Rocker, I do know who Eric is.But saying y’all is a habit because I try to not make assumptions about people.” Kent’s response was just on the polite side of patronizing.

“You really find yourself in conversations with that many gay people that you needed to make that a habit?”

The conversation was definitely attracting some more attention, and Kent wasn’t sure if he wanted anyone to step in.It never felt great to have to defend himself or Logan, but at least he knew what point he wanted to get across and had some experience doing it.

“Well first, since something like 20% of millennials are queer, I do assume that I regularly have conversations with people where it matters.And second, don’t forget about the all other letters in the acronym.It’s not just gay or bi—Google that shit.And it costs me nothing to say y’all but it might mean a lot to someone else.You might want to give it a try.”

It looked like Rocker wanted to say something else, but Marty grabbed him and pulled him over towards a quieter booth for a chat.Getting a talking to from two of his A’s because of a comment about the third would hopefully take care of it.Marty shot Jack an apologetic look, and Kent a questioning one, as they walked away.

For a while the conversations shifted back to their win, nice plays, and Snowy’s shutout.But after a little bit, Kent made his goodbyes and headed towards the door.Jack followed him out into the street, which was surprisingly deserted for 7 on Saturday evening.

“Thanks for saying all of that.It reminded me of a rant Shitty would go on, just with way less profanity.”

“No problem,” Kent answered, not sure where Jack was going with this.

“I was giving George a heads up the other day that I was going to propose to Eric soon so she could get whatever PR stuff she needed lined up.I was apologizing for making her job difficult, and she gave me the usual ‘no apology needed’ answer, but they she also said something about me not being the only person she had developed complicated PR pans for.She obviously didn’t say anything about you, but I know you talked with her.And what you were just saying in there made me realize that I’m not sure I have ever heard you label yourself—even in the Q.” He paused and gave Kent a serious look.“I just want you to know that you can talk to me if you want to.”

“I appreciate it.But I learned a long time ago that I need to keep a boundary between me and hockey,” Kent answered pointedly.

“Not as a teammate, just as a friend Kent.”

“I have to get home Jack.I’ll see you at skate tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about leaving this with a bit of angst, but it won't take too long to make things fluffy again.


	5. Mettle or Meddle?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I maybe didn't make it clear in earlier chapters, so here is the deal with the Falcs. Thirdy retired, which was how Kent was able to sign. The As are Marty, Jack, and Kent. Tater, Poots, and Snowy are all still around.

Kent might not have wanted to talk with Jack about the details of his life on a public sidewalk, but he did also need to get home.Katie had come down earlier in the day and she and Logan were probably about ready for dinner.They had spent the afternoon at Logan’s hockey game with the adult rec league they had found in the area. 

As a teenager, Kent had been frustrated that Katie couldn’t care less about something that was such a major part of his life.And if could go back in time, his younger self probably wouldn’t believe that he would be genuinely happy that Katie would choose going to someone else’s hockey game over his own.But he knew it was about being grateful for the family they had, and enjoying a real sibling bonding experience.

“Big Bro!” Katie shouted as he came in the door.She waited until he had dropped his bag and put his ring back on before hopping over the back of the couch to give him a hug.

“You are a fully-fledged adult.Why are you still jumping on the furniture?” he teased.

“You play a game for a living while I am a doctor, so lets not talk about who hasn’t grown up, huh?Nice goals by the way.We watched the highlights when we got home.Not as many as Logan had, but not too shabby.”

“We’re about even on the season so far though.I get more games and they have more points per game, which is pretty impressive since I’m a forward and they play D.Where is Logan anyway?”

“They’re giving Kit a lecture about not trying to kill the birds on the balcony.I don’t think Kit feels too much shame about killing the birds, so it might not make much difference.”

“Yeah, she thinks she is a real wild animal now that she has access to a balcony.I’m going to get changed and then we can get started on dinner.”

~~~

Logan was just wrapping up their lecture to Kit about respecting birds when Kent came into their bedroom.He looked tired—more than normal for what had seemed like a fairly easy game based on the highlights.

“I didn’t hear you get back.”

“It was just a minute ago.Did she actually get a bird this time?” he asked, heading to the closet to change out of his suit.

“No, but it was a close one.And now she is extra mad at me because I stopped her fun and then gave her a lecture.”

“She loves you because you are the best cuddler.She’ll get over it pretty quick.”

He emerged from the closet in well worn jeans and the sweatshirt they had gotten him for his birthday and then flopped on the bed.

“Do you want to talk about whatever it is?Or just vent about it?” they asked after curling up next to him and grading his hand.

“I just need to vent right now.Rocker is an idiot and Jack wants me to label myself.Well that’s a bit of an exaggeration—he realized that I haven’t ever labeled myself to him and he doesn’t want me to feel alone.”

“That sucks.And after such a good game too.”They were glad Kent just wanted to vent right now, because they were pretty sure that they didn’t have any real ideas to make it better.Yelling at Jack to back off probably wouldn’t accomplish much.

Kent huffed out a laugh.“Yeah.Pretty much.How was your game though?”

“It was a good one.The other team’s offense wasn’t much and their D kept forgetting they had to worry about the point, but their goalie was really good.I had to work for those goals.I think Katie got some good video for you.”

“Nice.I miss getting to watch you play in person though.It was easier when you played at the Ace’s practice rink because I had a reason to be there.”

“Katie said she could probably make it to another one of my games when she comes down for Christmas.Maybe you could go with her?”

“I hope we can make that work.You ready to make some dinner now though?”

“Almost.I know you know this—but don’t let anyone push you about labels.You’re happy with who you are and that’s what matters.You don’t have to explain to anyone any more than you want to.”

“Thanks,” Kent answered and leaned in for a quick kiss.“Love you.”

“I know.Me too.”

“Ok…let’s go get some food before Katie starts cooking on her own.I doubt she’s gotten much better at it.”

~~~

Kent was lost in thought as he drove himself home after a late practice a few days later.Jack was dancing around him like he didn’t want to say or do the wrong thing after their discussion outside the bar.It kept on reminding Kent of how he would act around Jack when he was caught up in anxiety about something in the Q and he didn’t know how to help.Maybe he was just reading into the situation and projecting his own feelings from the past. 

He seemed to be a bit stuck in the past lately.They were both much better players than they were at 17, but so much of their playing style, and even the personality of their teammates, was the same as the Q that he kept on being struck by the similarities.He thoughts kept coming back to that comment from Marty at the beginning of the season that maybe he and Jack needed the space to act like kids so they could get over their past.The trouble was he had no idea how to make that happen.

It was quiet when he go home.Logan was usually making small noises around the house, and if he hadn’t seen their keys by the door he would be worried that they hadn’t made it back from Boston yet.He eventually found them curled up in the bed in the dark.

He laid down on the bed carefully.“Sick, or bad day?”Logan didn’t answer right away, so it was probably a bad day.He spent the time reflecting on his own day again and wishing he could call his mom for advice.He couldn’t even really imagine the advice that she might have had.She almost certainly knew that Kent wasn’t straight, and probably that there was something between him and Jack, but Kent had never actually talked to her about it.Eight years on, the pain of missing her wasn’t constantly sharp the way it used to be.But that didn’t mean it didn’t catch him at times.

“The train was crowded this morning, and it was too noisy,” Logan said after a few minutes of quiet.“And then there were delays so I barely made it to my first meeting.And they were rearranging the office and my new desk is too loud and there is a weird glare on my monitor and I didn’t have the time to deal with it.And it wasn’t supposed to rain today but it did on my way to the train from work so I was wet for the ride home.I’ve been home for almost an hour though.I’m feeling better now…its definitely a mac and cheese night though.”

“That sucks.Did you let Jason know you might need help with your desk?”

“I don’t think it will be a problem, I just didn’t have time to deal with it today.But don’t worry—I’ll copy him on the email I send tomorrow.”They eventually looked up from the covers at Kent.“Are you ok though?”

“I’m ok, I’m just missing my mom today.”Kent could see Logan trying to figure out what to say when they were more often struck by anger that they couldn’t have a productive conversation with their parents instead of sadness that they only had the memories.“I know.The situations have so much in common and yet are so different.”

“I just wish I knew what to say or do to make it better.”

“I don’t think it is something that ever really gets better.I’ll give Katie a call in a little bit.”

Dinner didn’t take very long.There were always a few pre-made options in the freezer for when their schedules didn’t line up or one of them was in the mood for something the other didn’t want, so Kent warmed up some dinner while Logan made their Kraft Mac and Cheese—only ever the kind with the spiral pasta.

Once they were done eating and all the dishes were done, Kent settled down on the couch to call his sister.The phone rang for long enough, he thought it was going to go to voicemail when Katie finally answered.

“Hey, Kent.Whats up?”

“Is this a bad time?We can talk later.”

“I just have a friend over, I can talk for a little bit.”

“A friend, or a _friend_?Because I really don’t need to be interrupting your date.”

“Kent, you called me on Wednesday night just a few days after I saw you, which you literally never do, and now you are trying to get me off the phone.So spill.Whats going on?”

“I’ve been missing Mom lately.I wish I could talk to her again.Even though we are both different people now, I just keep feeling like a kid again playing with Jack.”

“Kenny...” He could hear the sadness in her silence. “Like a kid in a good way or a bad way?”

“I don’t even know.Sometimes it feels like that fearlessness of being a teenager and just having so much fun playing brilliant hockey together, but there is still this big conversational hole.We never talk about the draft.Even though we cleared the air before I signed it feels like something we moved past without really fixing.I don’t even know what needs to be fixed.I just wish I could imagine what Mom would say about it, but there is so much we never talked about.”

“You mean just everything that’s happened since she died?”

“That too, but I never actually came out to her.I’m sure she knew, but I just wasn’t ready to talk about it and then I didn’t have the chance.”

“Do you remember how you used to call home almost every day to talk to Mom the first few months you were in Vegas?”

“Yeah.”

“Well I was being an obnoxious teenager and complaining to her one day that you had achieved your dream and why couldn’t you just be happy about it and how maybe I needed her help with things too.And she very pointedly reminded me that you weren’t calling because you weren’t happy with hockey but because your best friend almost died and you were lonely.But then she said that you two had clearly cared about each other a lot, and while Jack had a roadmap about focusing on getting himself better, you didn’t have that.And it would take awhile for you to figure out how to move on from that, and to learn how to trust like that again.

“And I know you have moved on from Jack as an ex-boyfriend or you and Logan wouldn’t be so happy together.But Kent?Maybe you haven’t really fixed the parts of that that are about hockey.Maybe that’s why you’ve been feeling like a kid again.”

Kent could feel the tears in his eyes, and he managed to get out an acknowledgment before processing for a minute.“When did you get so smart anyway?” He asked, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“My psych rotation,” was the deadpan response.“I’m sorry I didn’t know you needed to hear that before now.”

“I probably didn’t even know I needed to hear it.Thanks for being a brat when you were seventeen so it is a conversation that actually happened.It’s not like she never said some of those things to me, but it’s different somehow.”

“Did that actually help, or are you just more sad now?”

“Both.Are you going to be all sad now when you go back to your date?Don’t think I didn’t notice that you didn’t answer that question before.”

“Fine, yes, it’s a date.We’re just watching a movie though and I’m always here if you need to talk.”

“Well tell them I’m sorry for interrupting anyway.And I’ll pester you for details later.”

“Yeah, yeah.I love you Kent.

“You too Katie.”

~~~

Logan knew that Kent was having a hard being himself with the Falcs, but it was different than it had been with the Aces.With the Aces he had been the young star that rebooted the franchise but was more humble than anyone expected.He cared about his teammates and was a genius on the ice.He spent so much time listening and helping that for a long time none of them realized how little of himself he gave away.

With the Falcs he was still an amazing player, but he was with a team that had won the Stanley Cup recently.A team that was already its own family before he got there.A team where someone already knew how much of himself he wasn’t sharing. 

So it really wasn’t a surprise that the adjustment wasn’t always smooth.But he had _cried_ on the phone with Katie—and Logan knew that it wasn’t just about missing his Mom.And once Logan realized that, there were so many other things too.

It was in the way he would strategize on the bench between shifts, still focused and incisive but with something else in the set of his mouth.

It was in the way he answered the questions he still got about settling in with a new team, with a tension in his shoulders that gave away his frustration, to someone who knew what to look for, that his media-smooth answers weren’t working

But mostly it was in the way he was tired at the end of the day.When it couldn’t be explained by a new practice schedule or a hard game.When it was more like the way Logan was tired at the end of the day, from too many people and too much noise.

Logan had a hard enough time figuring out their own feelings about things, so it wasn’t really surprising that it took this long to realize that Kent was struggling.But once they noticed they couldn’t un-notice.And once they saw it, they had to figure out what to say about it.Because it might be clear in their head, but that didn’t mean they could explain it out loud yet.

And so Logan spent their afternoon walks trying to put it into words, and they spent extra time tracing the constellations in Kent’s freckles before bed because it was one of his favorite things.And finally they spent their commute home from Boston over a week later writing it all down.Not to actually read it to him, but just to make sure they really knew what they wanted to say.

Kent was home before them that day since practice was early since he had an early flight for the start of a week long roadie the next morning.After they had dinner and settled down on the couch with Kit for the evening they started talking.

“So…something else,” which was their default way of bringing up a new topic.

“Ok”

“I’ve been thinking about theories of change, and how people tend to think of change as this gradual process.But there is also this idea of punctuated equilibrium, where change happens all at once.And maybe signing with the Falcs wasn’t a moment of change, maybe it just set the conditions for it.I think you have to decide if you want to be out.Not to the world, not even to the whole team if you don’t want.But to more than just Jack, who you never actually discuss it with.

I know there are plenty of hockey reasons too, but isn’t that why we are here instead of fighting to make the Aces a contender again?Because I thought you felt like something had to change; that you couldn’t keep hiding so much of yourself but that is what you are doing again.And its worse than before because you used to have Jason and Mark who knew the real you, but you don’t get to see them all the time anymore.And I don’t think it makes you happy because you get quiet at weird times and you are tired and get this scrunched look on your face that doesn’t match up with a bad game or a hard practice.But you aren’t talking to me about it either, so I don’t know how to help you other than saying I think you need to decide and then just do it.”

The downside of not always looking at someone when you talk is that you miss the changes in their expression.Logan felt the tension in Kent’s hand, but when they looked up his face was a blank mask.

“It sounds like you’ve already decided for me.Weren’t you telling me just a couple of weeks ago not to let anyone label me?”

“You can be honest without labeling yourself.It’s not like I tell everyone I meet that I’m autistic.I just stim and don’t care what people think.” 

“You can’t fix this for me.”It was like they were having two completely different conversations, and as Kent kept talking they could hear the words but they had stopped making sense.

“I need a break,” Logan said as they got off the couch and headed towards the bedroom. It was their conversational out—that they needed time to process and they could talk about it again later. 

Sometimes they wished they knew how to get mad at someone, and let out their feelings with harsh words and loud voices.Because they were like a storm inside with no path to ground, and they could only wait for the unsaid words to fade away into the dark room with time and slow, seeping tears.It was waiting for structure to return when they simultaneously needed to explode from too many feelings and implode from the inability to express them.

They had been recovering for long enough that they were starting to feel bad about starting a conversation and then abandoning it when Kent came in and sat on the bed.

“I’m sorry for getting upset,” he said quietly. “You’re right that I’ve been thinking about it and not knowing what to do and I got defensive.”He waited for a minute before continuing, “Did you want to talk more about what happened tonight?Because we can if you want but it is also late.”

“I didn’t mean to make you stay up late.”

“Its ok.I know not to bother you when Kit is still on top of the blanket instead of under it.”

“I think I just want to go to sleep.We can talk about it again another time.”Maybe if they think it through again they could come up with a better way to say it all.

~~~

Kent was in a bad mood.They had barely managed to squeak out a win in overtime against the Coyotes, and then he had a stupid fall after a mid-ice collision and messed up his wrist in their win over the Kings the next day.He was trying to nap before the Sharks game, but he hadn’t practiced this morning to give his wrist more time to recover, and his whole schedule felt off. 

His pregame nap was never as good on the road as it was at home anyway.Partly because hotel beds weren’t as nice, but mostly because at home Logan would usually nap with him, and he missed having them there.Although Logan was still upset with him, so he might not be getting a shared nap anyway.He knew he didn’t respond all that well when they were talking, but he had given Logan plenty of time to reset and then offered to talk about it more.He wasn’t really sure what else to do, and it was hard to figure out since they weren’t at home together.

On top of all of that, Logan was also in Vegas for one of their bimonthly trips back to be in the office.While that meant they would actually see each other sooner since the Falcs last game of this roadie was against the Aces, it also meant that Kit was alone with only their sitter coming by twice a day.

He knew he was giving of a weird vibe about the whole situation because Jack and Marty had been giving he worried glances for the past few days.But Kent couldn’t talk about it because the whole issue was that he didn’t talk about it.He couldn’t even talk about being sad for Kit even though everyone already knew how much he loved his cat since then they would wonder why he didn’t normally need a cat sitter.

The alarm on his phone went off, and he was glad he could stop trying to fall asleep.He would regret the lack of sleep later, but for now he was happy to get moving and get out of his own head.But then his phone started vibrating to let him know Jason was calling.

“Hey is everything ok?” Kent asked warily.Jason didn’t normally call in the middle of the day.

“Well there isn’t anything catastrophic, but I’m not sure I would go as far as ‘ok’,” he answered, which didn’t help Kent feel any better.“Do you remember when you and Logan asked me to officiate at your wedding, and I said that it would give me blanket permission to meddle if I saw fit?Not that I wouldn’t have as your friend anyway.”

“Yeah.”

“Well you’ve been a dumbass, and I’m going to meddle.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I hurt my wrist playing hockey the other day? What would give you that idea?
> 
> We are almost done with the angst, so things will get fluffy again soon.


	6. The Great Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the six month wait on this update. I do actually know where I'm going with this story, I just had too much life stuff going on and burned out on anything that didn't have to get done.
> 
> Thanks to SassyProudBookNerd for the lovely comment that got me motivated to get this next chapter off my computer and into the world. It's a little short, but it's here.

The desert stars were so much clearer than back East, where the never-ending urban sprawl produced so much light pollution.But the desert was open, just the occasional rock monolith that obscured the stars near the horizon.Logan didn’t realize how much both they and Kent had missed this.They had both grown up where wilderness meant trees, but somehow this wide expanse had crept into their souls. 

Kent had taken a maintenance day after the Falc’s game against the Aces.Logan still had to get some work done during the day, but they had made a picnic dinner and driven out past the suburbs to one of the favorite quiet areas off a local road.It would probably be some romantic cliche if they were laying in the bed of an old truck instead of awkwardly perched in the back of the Subaru Baja they had borrowed from Jason. 

Logan knew that Jason had talked with Kent, both because Kent called to apologize for not appreciating the effort Logan had put into trying to express their thoughts and because Jason let them know that Kent had felt like they had given an ultimatum about coming out.

“I know I said this before,” Logan began, pulling their blanket closer against the late Fall desert chill.“But I really didn’t mean to make it sound like you have to come out to anyone.I’ve been there—I still am there in a lot of situations.I know that’s your choice, if and when you are ready.”

“I know you know that.I know _I_ know that.But it has clearly been on my mind, and you saw how much it was bothering me when I don’t want it to be bothering me, so I lashed out.I know that wasn’t ok, and I’m sorry I let myself lose focus of the actual point you were trying to make.”

Kent was quiet for a little while, but Logan sensed that he had something else to say.They let him pull his words together, just shifting a little closer to intertwine their fingers under the blanket.Eventually, he let out a long breath and started again.

“Once Jason had finished telling me all the ways I had been an idiot, he said something.”

“Yeah?”

“He reminded me of my answer when he had asked me the real reason I wanted a roommate almost a year after we started living together.I had said something about needing balance, how if I couldn’t be my whole self with hockey I needed somewhere that it was ok to be queer.He said that maybe that isn’t the kind of balance I need anymore.

“And that is basically what you said too, because I have you and Katie and Gran and Jason and this whole life.I built this wall so the two parts wouldn’t meet but it doesn’t really work that way anymore, and it probably isn’t healthy.But it’s been how I’ve been operating for nearly a decade and it scares me to try and change it.”

The silence was on Logan’s side this time, while they collected their thoughts to respond.They were glad to be outside, where they could look at the stars and not feel rushed to come up with the right thing to say.

“I was scared when I cut off my parents, because I didn’t know that it would be better than it was.I just knew I wasn’t ok with the way things were, and eventually the benefits seemed better than the risk that I would forget a favorite recipe from when I was a kid, or not know how to clean something the right way, or some other adult thing, and I wouldn’t be able to call and get an answer.And it was weird for a while after I finally did it, and there are still times when I’m mad that they can’t accept me for who I am.But I don’t think about the fear anymore, I just know that it is better this way.

“You still don’t have to do anything until you are ready.But if you are holding out for 100%, I don’t think that is going to happen.”

~~~

The thing is—Kent doesn’t do things half way.You don’t get to be a professional athlete by only putting in some of the effort.  So once he was comfortable with the idea that he would tell some of his teammates eventually, he didn’t see the need to wait.And not long after that, a low key way to introduce Logan came up. 

Apparently some of the core members of the team used to scrimmage with some friends—more serious than a family skate but less than an optional practice.They had’t since Thirdy retired though since he knew a couple of guys that would play and now they were a few too many people short.

“I’m sure I can get Shitty since he is dying for an excuse to take an afternoon off of studying for the Bar, but we really need someone else to play D.”

“Oh, I know someone,” Kent jumped in.

“Really?”

“Zimms, I don’t know how I ended up being the one that surprises someone by mentioning a social life.”

“Haha.But you are still talking about hockey so I’m not sure about social life.”

“Fair,” Kent laughed back. “But I do know someone who plays D.They had an offer to play at Clarkson but passed it up to be an engineer.”

“Good!Zimboni you figure out how Kent makes friends later.We play on Saturday, yes?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time...fluff and telling people things. I should be able to get some writing done when my semester ends in two weeks!
> 
> Unrelated...I have a bunch of unrelated Draco/Harry story ideas and there are not nearly enough autistic Harry stories. Let me know if you would be interested or if you have any favorite head canons.


End file.
